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Pressure mounts on Rakesh Tikait-led BKU faction to support farmers’ stir
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) will decide on extending support to the ongoing farmers' protest after leader Rakesh Tikait returns from Karnataka on Thursday. Farmers in western UP are concerned about police barricades and tear gas usage. Farmer leaders excluded from the movement are pressuring BKU (Tikait) for support. Police deny placing BKU (Mahatma Tikait) leaders under house arrest.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) is likely to take a decision on how to extend support to the ongoing protest of farmers after its leader Rakesh Tikait returns from his Karnataka on Thursday.
Yogesh Sharma, district president of BKU (Tikait) in Muzaffarnagar’s Sisauli town, where the BKU HQ is situated, said farmers of western UP are perturbed after watching the heavy barricading of police to stop farmers’ march to Delhi and how forces are lobbing tear gas shells.
Sharma said Rakesh Tikait was in Karnataka and is expected to return on Thursday. “After his return, a meeting will be convened to discuss and decide the stance of the union in the ongoing protest of farmers and participation of farmers from west UP,” said Sharma.
Farmer leaders, who contested the previous assembly election in Punjab after participating in the farmers’ movement in 2021, have been excluded from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) movement. The SKM also did not give invitation to BKU (Tikait) to join the ongoing protest.
However, there is growing pressure on the Tikait family and farmers want to know how the BKU will support the movement.
Meanwhile, Tikait has supported the protest of farmers and urged the union government to resolve the issues through talks. The police and the administration are keeping a close watch on the possible movement of farmers from different districts of western UP.
The police have confined BKU (Mahatma Tikait) district president Nikki Taliyan, state general secretary Vipin Malik to their houses as they were gearing up to move towards Delhi on Tuesday.
ADG (Meerut zone) DK Thakur denied that anyone has been placed under house arrest.
